James Cameron is back in the water in titanic new Avatar sequel set photo

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

After years of planning, rescheduling, and re-tooling the franchise's plan for action, James Cameron is hard at work while filming the first sequel to his 2009 record-breaking sci-fi smash, AVATAR. Known throughout Hollywood for his elaborate sets and experimental filming methods, the official Avatar Twitter account recently shared a new behind-the-scenes photo that has the filmmaker wading through water while shooting with a massive 3D camera. The photo was snapped by producer Jon Landau, who was able to capture a bit of Cameron's patented movie magic in action.

You can check out the fire and flames of Landau's pic below:

Cameron has four sequels planned for his AVATAR series, which stands to welcome actors old and new to the otherworldly sci-fi franchise. As you're likely to remember, the first film in the AVATAR series focused on a paraplegic marine by the name of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who after being dispatched to the moon Pandora for a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. Cameron's AVATAR took theaters by storm upon its release, and remained the top-grossing film of all time ($2.789 billion) until it was dethroned by Marvel's AVENGERS: ENDGAME earlier this year ($2.796 billion).

Ready and rarin' to return to Pandora for Cameron's masterplan are Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, Stephen Lang, Matt Gerald and Sigourney Weaver. Joining them as part of the extended AVATAR cast are Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, Vin Diesel, Jermaine Clement, Michelle Yeoh and Oona Chaplin, among many others.

For now, AVATAR 2 is set to arrive in theaters on December 17, 2021. Meanwhile, AVATAR 3 is slated for a December 22, 2023 debut. AVATAR 4 will open two years after that, on December 19, 2025, while AVATAR 5 is scheduled for a December 17, 2027 release. This is an ambitious release schedule for sure, and it's worth noting that AVATAR 4 and 5 will only come to theaters in AVATAR 2 and 3 are successful.